This lesson could be a one-off or fit in
with the theme of marriage, traditions or 'reality' television
programmes. The text used is quite long, not such a bad thing
as stds do need practice with longer texts, rather than the
shorter ones dished up in coursebooks.

Stage
1 - Intro to the theme & article
25 mins tch<>stds, std<>std, tch<>stds
1. Give the stds the title & ask them to predict the content
of the article.
2. Use the introduction to the article below as a dictogloss
activity - dictate it quite fast & the stds note down
key words. They then reformulate the text from their notes
in small groups.
3. From the dictogloss results, ask for more predictions of
the article.

Indian soldier Arif Mohammed
spent five years in a Pakistani prison, during which time
his wife remarried, believing he was dead. But then he
returned. Strict sharia law was to decide whose wife she
was until a TV channel - and the whole nation - got involved.

Stage
2 - Reading
25 mins tch<>stds, std<>std, tch<>stds
1. Set a few general questions that ask them to read quickly
& get the gist of the article. The text may lend itself
to being cut up & ordering - it is quite long so give
the beginning & the end & the middle 6/8 paragraphs
could be ordered.
2. Stds read >> stds compare in pairs >> general
feedback.
3. Set more intensive task - stds find what the numbers refer
to by reading quickly....or get the stds to write their own
questions for each other.
4. Stds read >> stds compare in pairs >> general
feedback.

Find what the following numbers refer to in
the text:

September 1999 -
the next five years -
half a decade -
16 year old -
four years -
120 km -
last month -
29 years old -
two hour -
seven hours -
a few years -
half a million -
21 year old -

5. Ask the stds to discuss the situation,
the chronological events & the TV programme, making sure
they coincide on the facts.6. General feedback.

1. How do each of the protagonists feel?
2. Do you think you would feel the same, in each of
the protagonist's roles, if you were in this situation?
3. How would you resolve the situation?
4. Would this kind of situation cause such a scandal
in your country?
5. Do you know of any similar stories?

2.
Split the stds up into new groups, one from each original
group in a new group, & stds report & discuss their
discussions.
3. General feedback.

Stage
5 - Follow up tasks
A few ideas:Writing
- letter to the editor.
- letters between participants - could be done as a jigsaw
- A writes as Gudiya to Arif, B as Arif to Gudiya. After written,
letters are 'sent' & a response then written....Speaking
- roleplay - between all involved.
- roleplay the TV programme - some of the class being the
audience who are involved in the discussion - could be given
roles either pro or anti the strict moral code.Listening
- through homemade tapes of the protagonists giving a monologue
about their situation - possible adding in more information.